


Open Your Eyes

by Juliet_C



Category: Bird Box (2018), Ocean's 8 (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Emotional Hurt, Eventual Romance, Eventual Sex, F/F, Fear, Fluff, Injury, Ocean's 8/Bird Box Crossover, Pregnancy, Smut, Wilderness Survival
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-26
Updated: 2018-11-16
Packaged: 2019-08-07 22:35:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16417304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Juliet_C/pseuds/Juliet_C
Summary: This story features the Ocean’s 8 characters Lou, Debbie and Tammy in an apocalyptic scenario like the one seen in the trailer for Bird Box.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This is the first fanfic I’ve ever written so please bear with me.
> 
> The prologue and the first two chapters will mainly be focused on character and relationship development and will portray how these three met and their lives after the heist. I’ll try to keep that part as short as possible, but I really think that it will be important to see their relationship dynamic in a more ordinary setting in order to understand their actions in later chapters.  
> From that point on we’ll finally dive into the Bird Box part and you should prepare yourselves for a lot of angst and suffering (sorry).
> 
> So yeah, this will definitely not be a light and happy fic (if you’ve seen the trailer you probably wouldn’t have expected that anyways). I’m definitely planning to throw in a good dose of fluff (and smut) though ;)
> 
> If you haven’t seen the trailer yet, I’d recommend watching it before you start reading:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2AsIXSh2xo
> 
> Also, Tammy does not have children in this one, because that simply would not have worked with my storyline.
> 
> Your comments and feedback would be greatly appreciated since, as I’ve already mentioned, I don’t have any prior writing experience.
> 
> I really hope you enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback to young Lou, Debbie and Tammy

 

**Tammy & Lou (19 & 21 years old)**

 

Since they had been little Lou and Tammy had always planned on sharing an apartment at some point. They were basically living together anyways, as they spent pretty much every single afternoon together chatting and gossiping at Tammy’s. When Lou was 16 she even started to spend the nights there because she couldn’t bear seeing her mother getting drunk and letting all of her anger and frustration about her own life out on her. They had moved from Australia to the US when Lou was 8 years old after her parents’ divorce and her mother had simply never been the same since then.

Tammy was two years younger than Lou, so she was still in college when they rented their cosy little two-bedroom apartment. She had to work two jobs to be able to afford it, but it was all worth it if it meant being able to move out and be independent.

 

One night, after Lou had come home from a party, Tammy immediately noticed that her friend was uncharacteristically quiet and preoccupied when she grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and started walking towards her room without even saying hello.

After a moment of contemplation Tammy decided to follow her to make sure her friend was alright. She knew that Lou was the last person who needed checking up on, but for some reason she had the uneasy feeling that tonight was different and Lou wasn’t just exhausted after a night of drinking and dancing at the club.

They had been best friends since they were 8 years old, so it should not have been surprising for Lou that Tammy could read her like an open book. On the one hand she was incredibly thankful to know that Tammy would always care about her like no one else, but on the other hand she could not suppress the sudden rush of sadness she felt rising up, knowing that there was and never has been anyone else in her life who would care enough to notice these small changes in her behavior.

 

“Hey. Are you ok? You seem like you have something on your mind. You know that you can talk to me about anything, right?”

 

_Hearing those words almost made her cry, because she desperately wanted to tell her everything. Lou knew that she had to make a decision. Did she want to take the risk? Possibly losing her best friend was just too much to bear so she did the only thing she could in that moment. Suppress her feelings. Because Lou had learned a long time ago that that was the only way to survive._

 

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just really tired and wanted to go to sleep right away.”

 

"Well, if you say so. I will come back to you about this though because you’ve been off on several occasions these past few weeks and I’m starting to worry. You know that I couldn’t bear losing you, right? You’re my best friend and I just want to see you happy."

 

_There it was. The last straw of restraint she was desperately clinging on to had just been ripped out of her hands. How could someone be so openly vulnerable? It was beyond her. Seeing Tammy worry about her in that way made her lose all self-control._

 

"I’m in love with you, Tammy. That’s what has been bothering me. Seeing you all day every day and knowing that nothing is ever going to happen between us."

 

_Images started flashing before Lou’s eyes. Her catching glances of Tammy getting undressed before stepping into the shower. Lou kissing her at parties because apparently that’s what female friends do. Lou holding Tammy’s hand in public because that’s also no big deal, since it obviously means nothing. But it meant everything to her. Lou treasured these moments like precious rays of happiness, knowing that all of that would have to stop now, because Tammy would see everything in a completely different light._

 

Tammy didn’t speak for what to Lou felt like an eternity. Right then and there she wanted to take everything back and punch herself right in the face for caving in.

 

"Lou... I really don’t know what to say. I mean you know that I love you, right? But I… I guess I just never thought about our relationship that way."

 

"Yeah, that’s what I thought. But you were the one insisting on knowing what’s going on so here it is, now you know."

 

Tammy didn’t know what to do. Lou was her best friend and losing her was the last thing she ever wanted. It shattered her heart to see her suffer, especially because she was the one responsible for that. She felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room and the lack of oxygen made her feel dizzy. The silence was suffocating her and she could only think of one way to fix things.

 

She started walking towards Lou and stopped a few inches away from her. Lou was sitting on her bed, her head facing to the side because any eye contact would have been too much in that moment. She was barely able to suppress the tears that had started to build up in her eyes and facing Tammy would definitely have pushed her over the edge.

A few moments of silence passed and then Lou felt the bed slightly sinking in as Tammy sat down beside her and hesitantly put her hand on Lou’s cheek. Her fingers were trembling. Lou desperately tried not to give in but she simply had no strength left in her. She slowly moved her head to face Tammy and then, as she was looking into her glassy eyes, the first tear started rolling down her face. Their faces were only inches apart and Lou knew exactly what was going to happen. And she wanted it to happen more than anything else in the world and at the same time she knew that it would destroy her irreparably.

 

"Please don’t do that.", Lou said in barely a whisper.  

 

"I mean, don’t do it unless you want to."

 

Tammy looked at her for a long time and then slowly rose from the bed. In that moment Lou’s heart shattered in a thousand pieces.

 

"I’m so sorry, Lou. I… I really don’t want to hurt you any more than I already have."

 

"It’s ok, sweetie.", Lou managed to say. "I think I’m gonna go to bed now. I’m really tired."

 

That was it. The last time Lou let anyone too close to her heart.

 

 

***

 

 

**Lou & Debbie (25 years old)**

 

Lou had met Debbie a few months back at a bingo hall in New York. She was still living with Tammy at the time and was desperately trying to keep herself over water by making some money with cheap cons. After she got her degree in architecture she had the realization that her life was not going in the direction she wanted it to go and so she decided to take some time off to figure things out. That ‘time off’ ended up lasting over three years now and Lou was starting to get desperate. She knew that architecture wasn’t something she really wanted to do for the rest of her life but her mother had convinced her to get a degree, so that had been her best option. Trying to stay afloat financially was starting to take a toll on her and she even pondered going back to Australia for a fresh start. To leave her life with Tammy behind her because since _that talk_ nothing had been the same. They had grown further and further apart and in addition to that Tammy had started dating Derek two years ago, a guy who wasn’t even close to being good enough for her.

 

But now, for the first time in years, Lou felt a shimmer of hope rising up in her chest and it terrified her tremendously. Since that time she had opened up to Tammy her rule number one had always been to keep her heart out of reach for everyone around her to prevent it from shattering again.

 

Yet she found herself completely enamored by Debbie. Since the first time she saw the brunette at that bingo hall all of her thoughts had started to circle around her, and her only.  

 

 

“So what brings you here?”, Lou asked with a smirk on her face. “Aren’t you a bit too young to spend your Sundays playing bingo with grannies?”

 

“Well, I guess I could ask you the same question then”, Debbie responded. Completely unphased by Lou’s bantering she continued looking at the bingo card lying on the table in front of her. “I saw you making eye contact with the caller before, you know. Maybe you should start being more careful.”

 

Lou’s breath caught in her throat and she noticed her mouth slightly opening up. Annoyed by how little control she had over her own body sitting next to that woman she pressed her lips together and put one elbow up on the table, resting her chin on her hand. Leaning slightly into the brunette she brought her mouth closer to her ear. “Why don’t you teach me then? Apparently you are the expert here.”

 

Debbie slowly turned her head to the side and the two women were facing each other directly for the first time. A few moments passed as they were studying each other’s faces, trying to find any sign of weakness or uncertainty in the opposite’s eyes. Lou had always marveled at how easy it was for her to make other people buckle if she just held their gaze long enough. It was something she thoroughly enjoyed, being the one in control of any given situation. But not with the woman before her. That woman was looking at her without giving away anything, she exuded pure confidence. It was an expression so unfamiliar to Lou that it almost scared her, but at the same time it was utterly captivating. If she hadn’t been sitting down, it probably would have made her weak in her knees.

 

“Why would you possibly think that? I’m just like any other person here, enjoying a night at the bingo hall with all these lovely people. You can’t imagine how many interesting conversations you can have here.”, Debbie said with an unwavering voice. But there was something else. Lou couldn’t quite make out what it was, but to her it almost seemed like she was enjoying their little game, judging by the barely perceptible sparkles in the brunette’s eyes.

 

“Oh come on, just cut the crap. I’ve been watching you over the past few weeks and you literally win pretty much every time. You’re telling me that’s just a coincidence?”, Lou said frustratedly, the accusing tone in her voice she had intended to use not coming through at all. The fact that the other woman didn’t even flinch at her words, but had instead started to shift her gaze lower to where her lips were did not make the situation easier. She was incredibly intrigued by their power game and the light throbbing she felt between her legs was only further indication of that.

 

_Get your shit together, Lou. You’ve spoken to that woman for like 5 minutes and don’t even know her name._

“Is that so?”, Debbie said with a light chuckle. “Well I guess I’ve just been exposed then.”

 

Debbie knew that she had to be extremely careful not push her boundaries too much, especially since she was talking to a complete stranger. It wasn’t difficult for her to keep up her façade, but interestingly to her she felt completely safe and at ease with the woman in front of her. Keeping her restraint up became pretty much impossible when her opposite started leaning further in again and the low neckline of her silky blouse gave her a peek at what looked like a black lacy bra barely covering her breasts. Quickly turning her gaze back up to her face again, Debbie was met with an expression on the blonde’s face that could only be described as pure lust.

 

After carefully pondering whether or not she should take the risk, she determinedly grabbed the other woman’s arm and started dragging her out of the bingo hall. Debbie didn’t stop until they were outside in the hallway, out of sight for prying eyes. She then pushed the blonde against the wall, her blood pulsing through her veins like wildfire making the impact much stronger than she had intended. The blonde’s eyes flashed up at her in surprise and for a split-second she thought she might have made a mistake and completely misinterpreted her signals. But the only expression she could find in her eyes was anticipation, as the woman in front of her put her hand around Debbie’s waist to pull her in even closer.

 

Lou’s mind was racing and she was completely taken aback by the brunette’s unexpected but pleasantly surprising move. “Aren’t you gonna kiss me now?”, Lou hummed, still slightly out of breath from their hasty exit.

 

Debbie didn’t answer and just looked at the blonde, reveling in the view and the unmistakable glint she could see in her eyes. She felt overwhelmed by the surge of power, knowing that she was in complete control of the situation and at that point, no further invitation was needed. Debbie pressed her mouth against the other woman’s soft lips and was immediately met with a delicious warmth as she tentatively tasted with her tongue. The blonde opened her mouth and a low moan escaped her lips. The kiss was hungry and passionate but there was something deeper to it as well, a familiarity almost as if they had known each other for a long time before their encounter that day.  

 

Lou moved her hands upwards and started exploring the brunette’s body with an urgency, yet delicate in her movements. She buried her fingers in her long dark hair and as she was starting to slightly pull up the woman’s shirt in desperate need of more skin contact, the brunette suddenly pulled away, leaving her leaned against the wall, hair disheveled and out of breath.

 

“Looks like you don’t need me to teach you anything after all.”, Debbie said seductively, the fire still burning in her eyes. She took a step forward towards the blonde and gently caressed her cheek.

 

“My name is Debbie by the way.”

 


	2. Heist Wives?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 15 years later - Lou and Debbie decide to add Tammy to their team for the heist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the long wait, guys! I will definitely try to update more frequently from now on.
> 
> And I apologize in advance for the angsty chapter, for some reason it just came out that way.  
> I really hope you'll still enjoy reading it!
> 
> Thank you so much for your support, comments and kudos, it really means a lot to me! <3

 

“What about Tammy?”, Lou eventually asked after Debbie had not been satisfied with anyone else on her long list of fences she had prepared. They had been sitting at the table in Lou’s living room for over 30 minutes and although Lou’s intention had initially been to avoid mentioning that name at all costs and hoping Debbie wouldn’t think about it either, she was getting impatient at that point.

 

“Tammy? I really didn’t think you would bring her up. Are you sure you’d be ok with her being here all the time?”, Debbie cautiously inquired. Of course Tammy had been the first name that had popped up in her head, but not in a million years would she had dared to suggest her as an addition to the team. After all that had happened with Claude she was extremely careful not to hurt Lou’s feelings any further than she already had.

 

“Why would you even ask that?”, Lou answered with a dry chuckle. “Just because I had a little crush on her back in the day that doesn’t mean we can’t work together now, I mean we were basically still teenagers back then.” She knew that Debbie was only trying to be respectful, but to her it still felt like she didn’t think her capable of being a professional in a situation as important as this one. It was that subtle condescendence in Debbie’s voice that angered her deeply, but let’s be honest, after the brunette had broken up with her for someone like _Claude Becker_ , it might have just been her being overly sensitive.

 

“Yeah, of course. I wasn’t implying that you couldn’t, I just thought maybe you would prefer to work with someone else. I mean you made it very clear back then that you didn’t want to see her again after she moved away with Derek.”, Debbie said calmly. She was definitely not in the mood for an argument right now, so she tried to choose her words very carefully. “And I guess you have heard that they are currently in the process of getting a divorce, so...”

 

“Well I’ve said it all along, that guy simply wasn’t right for her. Only took her 20 years to realize it.”, Lou said with a sneer. She looked at Debbie and when she met her eyes she could see the concern and empathy written in her face so clearly, she had to look away. After everything that had happened she always felt like she couldn’t tell anymore whether Debbie’s emotions were sincere or maybe she was just using her to her advantage, just like she always had in the past. So every time she caught herself getting her hopes up that maybe, just maybe Debbie would eventually change and that she might actually really care about her, she had to stop herself. Therefore she abruptly stood up from her chair and hastily started to collect the scattered sheets of paper she had printed out before. Debbie quietly observed her while she carefully stacked them into a neat pile.

 

“You know what?”, Lou said as she put the notes back into a folder. ”I think this might actually be fun, the three of us back together. Just like old times, right?”

 

Debbie didn’t answer right away, she just gave her a bland smile and got up from the table herself. She started heading towards the kitchen, then slowly turned back around to face Lou. “I thought maybe I’ll drive over to her house tomorrow to let her in on everything. Maybe you’d like to come?”

 

“Nah, you go ahead. I really have to get a few things done at the club tomorrow, make sure everything runs smoothly while I’m away, you know. And I mean I haven’t seen her in almost 15 years, so a few days longer won’t matter either.”, Lou said clinically.

 

“Alright then.”

 

 

***

 

 

“Hey, can I come in?” Debbie lightly knocked on the door to Lou’s room, entered and was met with an empty bed. She could hear soft music playing and there was a faint light shining through the bathroom door, which stood open a crack. After a few moments of contemplation she decided to take the plunge and go in.

 

The door opened with a creak and Lou shot up from her lying position in the bathtub, water splashing in all directions. “What the fuck, Debbie, are you serious?!”, Lou said almost hysterically. “You could have at least knocked!” She covered her bare breasts with one arm and looked at the brunette furiously.

 

“I did, I knocked on your bedroom door and when you didn’t answer I thought I’d just come in. Actually, I wanted to see if you’re ok after our talk this afternoon, you didn’t really speak to me much since then.”, Debbie started.  She glanced down at the blonde’s right arm, which was firmly pressed against her naked torso. “You’re acting as if I haven’t seen you naked before.”, she chuckled and motioned towards her boobs after moving a few steps closer to the bathtub.

 

“Well, you obviously don’t want to see me naked anymore.”, Lou answered curtly.

 

“Why would you say that?” Debbie was completely taken aback by her words. Since she had gotten out of prison, she had obviously felt the constant tension between them, but she thought maybe Lou just needed some time to process everything and that they would eventually get back to how things used to be. She certainly didn’t expect Lou to act the way she did right now, to completely ignore her bantering.

 

“How can you act like this? Like nothing has ever happened between us? I’m not your little puppet, you know. You can’t just take me out whenever you feel like it and then throw me away again.”, Lou snapped. She didn’t know what it was about that specific moment between them, but somehow the well had overflown and she couldn’t hold back her anger and disappointment anymore.

 

“Lou, you didn’t even give me a chance to explain. Ever since I came back from prison you’ve given me the cold shoulder and I just wanted to be respectful, to give you the time and space you needed.”

 

“The time and space I needed?!” Lou was flabbergasted to say the least. “You’ve been gone for over five years, so trust me, I’ve had more than enough time to think about everything.”

 

“Then why are you so distant with me all the time? Look I’m sorry, I know I should’ve listened to you about Claude. I suffered the consequences. Could we please just forget about it and start over? I understand that you’re probably never gonna be able to fully forgive me, but could you at least try?” Debbie slowly sunk down on her knees, propped her arms up on the bathtub and put one hand on Lou’s cheek. “I would like very much for you to give me just one more chance, please.”

 

Lou let out a shaky breath she didn’t know she was holding while Debbie had been speaking. She put one hand up to cover Debbie’s with her own and looked at the brunette for a long moment, trying to decide on her next words, which she knew were of utmost importance for the future development of their relationship.

 

“You know that I’ll always say yes to you, although I shouldn’t.”, Lou whispered. She leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss on Debbie’s lips.

 

  

 ***

   

 

Lou swung open the door, excited to tell Debbie about the new bike she had just bought from her share. Her mind was already wandering off to images of the two of them going on road trips together, taking each day as it comes  just like they had done when they were younger and had spent every night in a different motel while they were touring the West Coast, making some money from cheap cons along the way.

 

“Hey, Debbie! Do you have a minute? I’ve just…”

 

Her eyes lazily wandered through the room, trying to spot the brunette, until she saw the scene in front of her and froze on the spot. Her breath caught in her throat and all the blood drained from her face. What she saw was a sight she would probably never forget in her life. Every last detail, forever burned into her mind. The light breeze coming from the open window, brushing her shoulders. Her feet lightly sinking into the soft tasseled carpet on the floor. A clock on the wall ticking relentlessly, seemingly a paradox since she could swear time was standing still at that moment. Pieces of clothing haphazardly strewn across the floor. Two people staring at her in horror, a blanket pulled up to cover up their naked bodies. Her rational mind told her who those two people in front of her were, but for some reason she could not quite grasp the meaning, the implications simply being too absurd to be true.

 

“Debbie, what the fuck is going on in here?!” Lou was yelling, but in her head the words only resonated as a faint voice in the distance, drowned out by the shrill ringing in her ears.

 

“Lou, I…I’m so sorry you had to see this! I was going to tell you about me and Tammy but…” Debbie’s voice was shaky, an occurrence Lou had only witnessed a handful of times since they had first met over 20 years ago. “But I guess that won’t be necessary anymore.”

 

“Yeah, I think I’ve seen enough. But good to know that you two have found each other. Who would have thought.” Lou’s accusing tone was barely perceptible, the bitter disappointment she felt simply overshadowing everything else.

 

A long moment of silence settled between the three women, nobody daring to cut through the heavy layer of guilt, crushed hopes and regret that was hanging in the air. Tammy didn’t dare to look Lou in the eyes, eyes she hadn’t seen for the past 15 years, eyes she had thought to be her soulmate’s for most of her life, even after Lou had broken off any contact between them. Debbie was torn between her best friend, her partner in crime and, if she was being honest with herself, her partner in life. And then there was Tammy, a woman she had always found utterly fascinating and in the past few days, since she had visited her, she simply could not deny their magnetic infatuation anymore.

 

Lou looked at the two women in front of her, their apologetic gazes now puncturing her heart like knives. She remembered the defining moments she had in her relationship with both of them. A shy 19-year old girl, sitting on her bed, rejecting her after she had confessed her love. On the other side she saw a tall brunette, a woman she had shared the most intimate and nerve-wracking, the happiest and also the most heartbreaking moments of her life with. She could still see them now.

 

“I’m going to leave now.”, Lou finally said after she simply couldn’t take it anymore. She felt as if the walls were collapsing around her, tears started welling up in her eyes, still her mind was completely blank. The door shut behind her with a bang and right then and there she sunk down on the floor and let her feelings overwhelm her, trying to drown herself in them in a desperate attempt to forget.

 

_It was a moment in time Lou would replay over and over in her mind over the years, hoping it would somehow lose its impact at some point. She tried to make it seem almost surreal, like she had only been a spectator, watching a scene trough a glass pane, completely detached from the proceedings. But she was not dreaming or imagining it. Lou wished she had been._

 

She still didn’t know why she had agreed to work with Debbie again. Actually, it was crystal clear to her, but being hopelessly in love with someone who had disappointed her again and again in the past was an admission Lou was not capable of making. If there was one thing Lou feared even more than losing control, it was knowing that she would never be in control of her feelings ever again. Knowing that their relationship would never work out and that she had no influence on that. Knowing that she would still choose Debbie in spite of the inevitable heartbreak that would follow her decision.

 

Because what Debbie was willing to give would never be enough, it could never possibly be on par with the undying love she felt for the brunette. And it was said love that was slowly consuming her from the inside, desperately hoping to break free one day but Lou simply would not let it. Although the words were always unspoken, she was convinced that Debbie had always known in her heart.


End file.
